From fake meat to blood tests that could detect cancer early, take a look at a few Silicon Valley initiatives that Gates has supported in the past decade.

Grail, a startup aiming to detect cancer when it's still curable.

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Founded in 2016, Grail is a life sciences company working to develop technology that could spot cancer before it's incurable. Grail says on its site that it believes a special type of blood screen could be the key.

Grail was funded in 2016 by its former parent company (the gene-sequencing giant Illumina) and a group of high-profile investors including Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Google Ventures. The Series A round totaled $100 million, and Grail has garnered $1.2 billion in investments to date.

EtaGen, a startup developing highly-efficient power generators.

EtaGen

EtaGen is a startup producing ultra-efficient generators that supply power for companies, buildings, and microgrids. In 2012, CEO Shannon Miller toldMIT Tech Review that EtaGen's engines use on average 25% less fuel (like natural gas or diesel) than traditional gas-powered generators.